Electric controller



(No Model,) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. W. HANKS.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

No. 606,009. Patented June 21,1898.

a mm a H M.W.HANKS ELECTRIC CONTROLLERv 3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented June 21 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. W. HANKS.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

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Unrrnn Smarts l arnw'r @rrrcn MARSHALL w. I-IANKS, OF'MADISON, WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC CUNTROLLER.

srnozrrcacrroiv forming part of Letters Patent no. 606,009, dated June 21, 1898. Application filed December 17, 1897. Serial No. 662,248. (No model.)

To all whom it ntn/ concern.-

Be it known that I, MARSHALL W. HANKS,

. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to improvements in an electric controller designed for making and breaking current of motor, and reversing cur rent in armature.

The objects of my invention are to provide new and improved means for instantaneously moving a revoluble contact-cylinder of an electric controller to its consecutive positions regardless of the rotative velocity of the actuating means, thereby preventing the arcing between contacts,and to provide means for the positive movements and stops of the contactcylinder, thus enabling an inexperienced person to handle a controller with perfect safety; and to this end myinvention consists in new and improved means for accomplishing the objects named and in certain combinations and features of construction, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustratc an application of my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of an electric-launch controller with my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a vertical section through switch-operating mechanism; Fig. 8, an end view of switch-operatin g mechanism from hand-wheel or actuating end; Fig. 4, an end view showing position of trip-disk and springs when hand-wheel is rotated to the left; Fig. 5, an end view showing position after first stop; Fig. 6, a plan view of trip-disk; Fig. 7, a sectional view through trip-disk',' showing triparm removed a slight distance from the ta pered slotyFig. 8, a diagram illustrating a developed plan'of. contact-plates and wiring for a series-parallel battery and motor-controlle'r,'and Fig. 9 a diagram illustrating a developed plan of contact-plates and wiring using resistance for controlling speed of motor and means for reversing same.

Referring to the drawings, the frame 1 is provided with bearings 2 for the rotary shafts 3 and 4, which are concentric shafts, but independent of each other. A circular disk 5 is mounted on the inner end of the shaft 3 and is adapted to rotate with the shaft. The disk is provided with a circular slot 6 and a tapering cut-out portion 7, adaptedto receive a trip-arm 8, which is loosely mounted 011 shaft 3 and is provided atits outer end with a curved lug 9. Extending outwardly from disk 5 and rigidly secured thereto, so as to rotate with the disk, is a plate or platform 10, provided with a V-shaped slot 11 and a screw 12. Flat curved springs 13 and 13 surround the shaft and are firmly secured in the V shaped slot 11 by a ii-shaped wedge 14:, which latter is drawn up tight into position by the screw 12. These springs are of such a nature that their free lower ends are normally almost in contact. They are, however, separated by a pin, as will be described farther on in the specification.

hen my invention is employed on an electric launch, a steering-wheel 15 and a drum 16 may be very conveniently mounted on shaft 3, as shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings. The shaft 3 is provided on its outer end with a hand-wheel 17 for actuating the shaft. It will be noticed that the shaft may be rotated in two directions from the neutral point that is, to the right or to the left, as desired.

.A cylindrically-shaped standard or frame 18,

made integral with the frame 1 or rigidly secured thereto by anysuitable means, is provided with a number of properly-spaced slots 21, in each of which is located a pivoted stop lever 19. The number of the said slots and the spacing of same depend on the construction of the contact-cylinder and the location of the contact-plates thereon. A portion of the standard 18 near the disk 5 is cut away to form a passage-space between it and the portion of their length is formed of rounded sections 22, which are adapted to come in corn tact with the lug 9 of the arm 8, by which they 23 is a slot adapted to receive a are raised.

wire or rod 24, by which said levers 19 are pivotally mounted in the longitudinal slots above referred to. lhe wire H is held in position by means of the screws 25. Springs 26 are adapted to exert an upward pressure against the inner end of each of the stop-levers. These springs lie in holes in the casing 18, as shown.

On the inner end of shaft 1- is a crank-arm 27, provided at one end with an outwardly extendingpin 28, adapted to pass through the circular slot 0 in the disk 5 and be normally held between the free ends of springs 13 and 133. The other end of the crank-arm 27 is adapted to travel in the space between the disk 5 and the standard 18, its circular movement being limited by the stops 20. A contact-cylinder 29 is mounted on shaft el and is adapted to revolve with the shaft. Contact plates or bars 230 on the cylinder are e1nployed to make contact with the brushes 31, which latter are adapted to connect the wii s from. the different circuits.

Referring particularly to Figs. 8 and 9, which. are diagrams illustrating a developed plan of contact-plates and wiring for a seriesparallel battery and motor-controller and a developed plan of contact-plates and wiring using resistance for controlling speed of motor and means for reversing same, in Fig. 8, a and a are contact-plates on cylinder for cou iiling'," batteries Z) from parallel to parallel series. 0 and c are contact-plates for reversing currents in armature. For positive rotation of armature contact-plates CL and 0 come into action, and for a negative rotation of armature contact-plates a and c. The motor is represented by (Z, and the field connections by c and c, and the armature connections by f and f. g is a double breakswitch for opening; motor-circuit. 7L are contact-fingers. in Fig. i), a and a. represent con taet-plates for throwing more or less resistance in armattire-circuit, and contaet-plates c and c are plates for reversing currents in armature. The motor, field eonnectio'in s, and armature are represented by (Z, c, and e and f and 7", respectively.

The operation of my invention as illustrated in the drawings is as follows: The shaft 3 being" rotated to the left by actuating the handwheel 17 causes the spring 13 to bear upon the pin 28, which projects from thelower end of a crank-arm 27 and passes through the cireular slot 6 in the disk 5. This crank-arm 27 cannot rotate to the left until the stop-lever 19 is raised high enough for the upper end of the crank-arm 27 to pass under it. The iilllhtllll 8 is free to rotate on the shaft 23, but is limited in its independent movement by means of its relation with the disk 5that is to say, it is only free to independently rotate within the portion 7 of said disk. From the relative position of the trip-arm and disk and owing to the fact that they are adapted to rotate with the shaft it is evident that a rotation of the disk in either direction of about scenes twenty degrees will pick up the trip-arm and cause the latter to rotate with it. The rounded lug 9 on the said arm will act on the rounded end of stop-lever l9 and eausetho end to be raised from its seat in the slot sufiiciently to permit the upper end of the crank-- arm 27 to pass under it. The instant the stopdever is sufficiently raised to permit the crank-arm to pass the recoil of spring 123 rotates the crank-arm instantaneously to the left, bringing it in contact with the next stoplever,wl1en the raised pivotet. stop-lever will snap back into its normal position in its slot, due to the action of sprin' 26. The erankarm is now locked between two stop-levers, as shown in Fig. 5. The operation of the spring 13 is particularlyshown in, Fig. at, which shows the position of the springim mediately preceding the release of the crank-arm. This figure also particularly shows lug 9 acting, on the rounded portion of the stop-lever to raise it. As the crai'ik-arm 37 is keyed to shaft at, an instantaneous rotation of the former will 'iin part a similar movement to the latter and to the contact-cylinderB! By thisnioven'ient the contact-cylinder is instantzniieously brought to its first position regarilless oi. the rotative velocity of. the hand-wheel or the shaft 3. (in rotating the shaft still. further by means of the hand-wheel the same action with re met to the next stop-lever will be repeated. and. the contact-cylinder brought to its second position instantaneously and independent of the rotative velocity of the shaft 3 and its attuatine means.

lVhen retatin the hand wheel to the the same action as above deseriimd will. be effected with reference to the stoplcvcrs to the right of trip-arm 8.

it will thus be seen that l have niovhled new and effective means for instantaneously moving a contact-cylinder in either (lli'OttLlOll. to its consecutive positions with lG-ifM'tl'liCU to the fixed eontact-poin ts at a rotativc velocity independent of the rotative velocity of the actuating means for operating the switch mechanism, and by thus doing; so I am enabled to make and break the motor-current and reverse current in arma tu re wi thoi it eat is ing'arcingand its accompanying injurious effects.

W hat I claim, and desire to secure by Tait ters Patent, is-- 1. In an electric controller, the combination with a contactcylinder mounted on a rotatable shaft, of a second shaft n'tn'ii'lod with actuatii'lg means, and mechanism, intorpmsed between the actuating; means and the contact-cylinder, ccm n'isintr a proj cling" part on the cylindei'sln'ift e1 -inn;with. a spring on the second shaft wheiihy the contact-e vlinder may be instantaiieously rotated, in either direction, to is constmutive positions regardless of the velocity of the actirathe means.

2. in an electric controller, the cornbin ation with cylinder nrovided with contzu3t--1 ln tea,

IIO

mounted on a rotatable shaft, of a shaft concentric with the cylinder-shaft and provided with actuating means, and mechanism, interposed between the actuating means and the contact cylinder, comprising a projecting part on the cylinder-shaft engaging with a spring on the concentric shaft whereby the contact-cylinder may be instantaneously rotated, in either direction, to its consecutive positions regardless of the velocity of the actuating means.

3. The combination with an electric motor, an electric controller, a contact-cylinder pro vided with contact-plates lying in the path of fixed contact-points, said cylinder revolubly mounted on a rotatable shaft, a shaft c011- centric with the cylinder-shaft, provided at one end with actuating means and at its other end with mechanism engaging with means on the cylinder-shaft, whereby the cylinder is instantaneously rotated, in either direction,

to its consecutive positions, regardless of the rotativevelocity of the shaft engaging with the cylinder-shaft.

4C. In an electric controller, the combination with a contact-cylinder mounted on a rotata ble shaft, of a second shaft having actuating means and a disk provided with springs, said springs engaging with a pin extending from an arm on the cylinder-shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric controller, the combination with a contact-cylinder mounted on a rotatable shaft, of a second shaft having actuating means and a disk provided with springs, said springs engaging With a pin extending from an arm on the cylinder-shaft, a trip-arm, and stop-levers to lock the arm on the cylindershaft, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric controller, the combination with a contact-cylinder having contact-plates lying in the path of fixed contacts, said cylinder mounted on a rotatable shaft, of a shaft concentric with the cylinder-shaft and having actuating means at one end and a disk provided with springs at its other end, the springs engaging With a pin extending through the disk from an arm on the cylinder-shaft, a trip-arm, a standard provided with longitudinal slots, and pivoted stop-levers in said slots, substantially as set forth. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

MARSHALL WV. IIANKS.

Witnesses:

HENRY D. ATWOOD, W. G. DOOLITTLE. 

